US Attorney Jason Reding Quinones Resigns Amid Justice Department Exodus

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Reding Quinones, has submitted his resignation, marking the latest high-level departure from the Department of Justice following the midterm elections. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the resignation on Friday. The departure comes alongside the exits of other senior department officials, including the heads of the national security and civil rights divisions.

During his tenure as federal prosecutor in Florida, Quinones oversaw high-profile international and domestic cases. Among them was the indictment of 94-year-old former Cuban leader Raul Castro amid a wider administration pressure campaign against Cuba. In a statement on Friday, Blanche noted that the department was “grateful for Jason’s leadership in combatting violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and transnational crime, including the indictment of Raul Castro.”

Quinones also directed an expanded federal inquiry into matters related to Russia's alleged support during the 2016 US presidential campaign. A special investigator subsequently concluded that there was no direct collusion between the campaign of President Donald Trump and Russia, though Trump frequently described the overall probe as a political witch-hunt. As part of the probe, grand jury subpoenas were issued to former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former FBI Director James Comey, though no charges were brought.

Comey was subject to separate legal action by prosecutors in April over a social media post that government lawyers alleged constituted a threat against the president, alongside court filings indicating potential charges regarding the disclosure of classified material. A judge had dismissed an earlier case against Comey in November of last year, an action Comey described as an appalling abuse of the department.

The resignation of Quinones follows that of Harmeet Dhillon, who stepped down on Thursday from her position leading the Justice Department's civil rights division. Dhillon faced criticism over her management of the division, including reports that staff were instructed not to investigate the deaths of two US citizens killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. On Friday, Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg also left his role leading the national security division, with Blanche stating that Eisenberg “has served with distinction, strengthening our nation’s ability to address threats, both foreign and domestic.”

These administrative departures coincide with a shift in congressional oversight following Tuesday's midterm elections, in which the Democratic Party won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The change in legislative majorities gives congressional committees subpoena power, with Democratic lawmakers expected to focus several probes on alleged politicization within the Department of Justice.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com